They say that goals are like buses …. you wait for ages and then two come along at once.
This was certainly true for Ricky Hulbert, as his goal drought that stretched all the way back to 25th Jan 2014 was broken with not one, but two goals and with another from Darren Jefferies Frome ran out comfortable winners over Toolstation 1st Division side Cheddar.
Frome’s squad was missing Jordan Walker who was cup tied and Stuart Dickin was missing through illness, but were pleased to welcome back goalkeeper Darren Chitty after a month or so out with a groin injury.
New signing Mitchell Page started ahead of Saturday’s FA Trophy home game against Slough Town.
After Saturday’s sluggish start, Frome were much quicker out of the blocks in this game and in the first minute, Tyler Sibbick forced a save from the home keeper who was just able to turn the ball round the post for a corner.
Frome kept the pressure on and after a 4th minute corner was not cleared, Sam Teale drove the ball across the goal and Liam Monelle should have done better from four yards but missed his shot completely.
As the match settled, Cheddar had their first chance in the 12th minute but the shot was well wide as the winger came clean through, then Frome went very close to opening the scoring two minutes later as Jon Davies went round the keeper only to have his shot cleared off the line, and as Sibbick followed up, his shot was superbly tipped over the bar.
In the 20th minute it finally happened and with visiting supporters rubbing their eyes in disbelief, a right wing cross from Monelle was met by the diving head of Hulbert. He made perfect contact and the ball refused to hit the post, the keeper or anything else that normally gets in the way, crossed the line and ended up in the back of the net. Even the officials failed to find a reason to disallow the goal, and it had really happened …. Ricky had scored!
Inspired by this unusual turn of events, he then proceeded to set up Sibbick a few minutes later and his curling effort was turned behind by the Cheddar keeper who was having an inspired match.
Frome’s talent for missing from close range was again shown as a Teale header from four yards out failed to hit the target, but Monelle then proved that he prefers shooting from distance as a 20 yard cracking effort thudded against the Cheddar cross bar on the half hour.
The second half saw Cheddar doing well up the slope and chances were few and far between, but then Frome doubled their lead in the 72nd as Rob Hobbs flicked the ball onto Darren Jefferies who burst in from the right of the area and buried the ball in the back of the net.
The second bus of the evening (and Frome’s third goal) turned up in the 80th minute as Hulbert evaded offside and raced onto a through ball and dinked it over the keeper to seal the result and send Frome through to the next round, and hopefully to set off a rich vein of scoring form now that the confidence is coming back.
Not surprisingly, Ricky Hulbert was awarded the H&B Tyres man of the match award. Crowd: 72. Entertainment Value: 3/5.
